Gracioso needs to be tested to know if he is telling truth --Ombudsman Remulla

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Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday that Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. needs to be put to the test in order to find out if he is telling the truth.

“Hindi pa ako puwedeng mag-judge e. Kailangang masubukan pa siya nang husto sa mga tanong na matindi para malaman natin kung totoo ang kanyang sinasabi. Siyempre, we cannot just swallow everything; dapat diyan tingnan natin nang maayos kung talagang believable ang kanyang sinasabi,” Remulla said.

(I can't pass judgment yet. We need to test him thoroughly with hard questions to know if he is really telling the truth. We cannot just swallow everything. We should really look if what he is saying is believable.)

Remulla said he thinks this will eventually reach the Office of the Ombudsman. But for now, he is observing.

“Tingin ko, darating ’yan sa opisina ko. Pero sa ngayon, pinapanood muna namin ang mga sumasambulat na nakakagulat. Panoorin muna natin sila. Kung meron man kaming maaaring gagawin diyan na pag-iimbestiga, gagawin namin ’yan sa tamang panahon,” Remulla said.

(I believe it will reach my office eventually. But for now, we are watching what he is happening. If we will be conducting an investigation, we will do it at the right time.

Gracioso claims to have worked for former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco. Remulla said Velasco has already come up in the investigations they are conducting.

“Oh yes. Palagi nang nababanggit. Pero ngayon lang nagkaroon ng taong nagsasalita tungkol sa kanya. Marami naman tayong nalalaman. Kaya lang, kapag chismis lang, hindi namin pinapatulan. Dapat talaga may ebidensya,” Remulla said.

Gracioso surfaced last week and claimed that he was the one who allegedly delivered bags of money to Vice President Sara Duterte, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo "Pulong" Duterte.

Vice President Sara Duterte however on Saturday said she does not know Gracioso, and she did not receive any money from him.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is investigating Gracioso’s claims.

Authorities will verify the allegations made by Gracioso against the Dutertes before accepting them as fact, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Monday.—AOL, GMA News